


'til the gravity's too much

by worthageatrois (brownkhaleesi)



Category: Buzzfeed: Worth It (Web Series)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Also I don't know anything about how Buzzfeed works, Drinking, Drunken Shenanigans, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Making Out, Mutual Pining, Pining, Schmoop, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, Song: Sparks Fly (Taylor Swift), Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, i don't know how to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 02:55:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14728625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brownkhaleesi/pseuds/worthageatrois
Summary: Steven’s not stupid, okay? He knows what it means when sometimes, he loses his breath all at once while he’s looking at Andrew. He knows what it means when Adam throws him meaningful looks from behind the lens that meantake the heart-eyes down a notch, you loser.He gets it, and while he’s not exactly thrilled at the inconvenience of crushing on his coworker/best buddy, it does make sense.Or, five times Steven wants to kiss Andrew, and one time Andrew takes matters into his own hands.





	'til the gravity's too much

**Author's Note:**

> this fic has honestly been eating away at me for a month, and i finally sat down and wrote the last three parts today, so here you have it. title is from treacherous by taylor swift.
> 
> dedicated to my amazing friend [radi](http://dreamy-witch.tumblr.com), without whose encouragement i would never write anything at all. i will never be able to thank you enough for your constant support. 
> 
> obviously, these characters bear no resemblance to their real-life inspirations. please don't send this or any other fic to anyone mentioned in this story, and bear in mind that these are real people with real emotions and lives. 
> 
> beyond that, i hope you enjoy this.

**1**

Steven knew that letting Andrew lead an episode would only come back to bite him in the butt. He couldn’t very well lock his cohost out of the creative decision-making process, however, and so here he was - wedged into the backseat of his own car, having been somehow talked into sitting bitch. In his own car. Goddamn Andrew.

He couldn’t help but sulk a bit as he scrolled through his notes pre-intro. You have to understand, Steven wasn’t used to giving up control. This was Worth It, his baby. And up until now, it’d been his alone. He’d done all the research, the editing, the reaching out and actually telephoning various chefs and restaurant owners, the driving. Andrew asked him for creative license once, and now he’s here, arms held stiffly at his sides so he won’t accidentally grope either of his friends, waiting for Adam to stop fidgeting with his mic so they could get a move on.

Steven respects Andrew and Adam. He respects their talents and their reputations, their humor and their ideas. So, when Andrew pitched cocktails for his first episode, Steven didn’t put up a fight. Sure, his tolerance resembles that of a teenager making their first forays into alcohol, but he’d started drinking to open up alcoholic options for the show (and for himself) anyway. And, he guesses, he trusts Andrew to guide him well, even though he knows the whole reason Andrew picked cocktails was to mess with him.

Adam and Andrew respect Steven, too. They know all about how much work goes into each episode of Worth It, how many nights Steven spends laying under his soft duvet flipping through Foursquare and making incredibly detailed notes, plotting their itinerary to the minute.

Even though Worth It’s only in its second season, all three of them have come to know each other extremely well - a happy accident borne of spending hours trapped in a car going on food adventures together. Most recently, the boys wandered all the way over to New York for a few episodes. The meticulous planning, travel, hotel room-sharing, and lack of anyone else to hang out with forced the three to socialize with each other pretty exclusively. They would never let the other two know, but none of them were complaining.

The newfound closeness means that Andrew and Adam have come to know Steven better than almost anyone else in his life. They’re all aware of each other’s moods and habits and can read each other’s faces surprisingly well. So, Steven knows why Andrew picked cocktails for his very first episode. It was his way of sapping Steven’s control and putting him entirely at the mercy of Andrew’s every whim. Not only can he not drive his own car, but Andrew won’t even tell him much about the destinations or the cocktails they’re going to try. His patience for Andrew’s deliberate abstruseness was dwindling by the second but, he reasons, he _did_ sign up for this. He nudges Andrew annoyedly, trying to make him get a freaking move on.

Andrew grins at his pout. Butthead.

“As I was saying, Steven, we’re going to a place called Good Times at Davey Wayne’s. They serve an Old Fashioned that is _fashioned_ in a new kind of way.”

Eyeing Andrew’s gesticulating hand that also happens to be holding a coffee cup, Steven sighs. He flaps his hand in the universal gesture for “go on,” but Andrew shakes his head.

“You’ll see, you’ll see. Just be patient.” As if patience is something Steven is capable of.

Adam chuckles lowly, peering out the window at… well, Steven isn’t sure really. What’s there to look at in LA? Strip malls and palm trees are pretty much it. While Steven’s contemplating what Adam could possibly find so interesting, he completely misses what the bespectacled stoic mutters under his breath.

“Say that again?”

“I said, it’s not like it matters where we’re going when you’re just gonna get drunk, like, one sip in.”

“Hey!” Steven cries, over the sound of Andrew’s stupid throaty chuckle, “Andrew, make him stop being mean to me!”

That just makes them both laugh harder. _Buttheads_.

—

Good Times at Davey Wayne’s is aptly named for its good times. Their Old Fashioned is on tap, and the decor is rustic, colorful and eclectic in a way that puts the bar’s history on display. It’s rare that Steven feels this comfortable in a new place, especially in a place where the only real activity on the to-do list is drinking.

The bar has a hipster house party vibe which the boys are kind of accustomed to thanks to living in Hollywood and working at Buzzfeed. They grab their drinks, only $6 each for Happy Hour, and move out to the patio, where two intricate little rope hammocks have been sectioned off for them. They set their drinks down and set up the cameras, already mic’d up from their conversation with the bartender. In most other episodes, they generally don’t sit so far apart, and the distance is already strange to Steven before they even sit down.

They settle into their respective seats and Steven immediately recognizes the mobility he’s afforded in the swing. He grabs onto the straight wooden rod holding up the hammock a couple feet above Andrew’s head, and uses it to swing himself closer to Andrew, grinning as he anchors himself there. They toast and then sip their drinks in unison, pausing to discuss them in detail for the cameras. And then… then, Andrew suggests Never Have I Ever.

Now, Steven’s not a prude or anything, but he has had fairly limited opportunities for the kinds of activities one would usually mention playing Never Have I Ever. He is, however, nothing if not enthusiastic.

“I’ll go first! Never have I ever… been arrested!”

Andrew quirks an eyebrow. “I’ve never been arrested. Were you expecting that I’d been arrested?”

“I dunno, I guess I was curious. Isn’t that what the game’s for?”

“Things we’re curious about? This could get uncomfortable really quickly, then.”

Interesting. So Andrew has something to hide?

“Anyway, it’s my turn. Never have I ever dyed my hair.”

Steven rolls his eyes and takes a sip. That’s just lazy.

“Never have I ever, uh… kissed a guy.”

Andrew fully raises his eyebrows at this but he takes a sip.

Steven’s not surprised, per se, but he’s not unsurprised. He also really, really should’ve thought his question through, because now he can’t stop thinking about Andrew kissing someone. It’s not the toughest thing in the world to picture. Andrew kind of makes out with his food when he eats it.

It’s… kind of attractive. Fuck, Steven is _screwed_.

“Wait, seriously? You’ve never kissed a guy? Like, not even once, for fun, in college or something?”

“I’m not really into casual hookups, Drew. I’ve never been in a relationship with a guy, so I’ve never kissed one.”

Andrew shrugs and sips his drink again, as if for emphasis. He smirks at Steven for no apparent reason, and they move on.

“Never have I ever _wanted_ to kiss a guy.”

Steven chokes on air as Andrew watches him discerningly, the corners of his mouth lifted in a tiny smirk. Andrew sips his own drink, and looks expectantly at Steven.

Steven’s not stupid, okay? He knows what it means when sometimes, he loses his breath all at once while he’s looking at Andrew. He knows what it means when Adam throws him meaningful looks from behind the lens that mean _take the heart-eyes down a notch, you loser_. He gets it, and while he’s not exactly thrilled at the inconvenience of crushing on his coworker/best buddy, it does make sense. Steven’s always been the kind of person that has to really get to know someone to be into them. Andrew’s a gorgeous dork with a ridiculous sense of humor to boot, and Steven… might, kind of, maybe love him?

Okay. That’s a revelation that’s gonna have to wait until he’s home and alone. He swigs down half his drink, and then realizes he just drank to Andrew’s statement. Oh well. As they say, in for a penny or whatever.

Andrew’s staring at him in askance, as if he expects Steven to tell him which guy he’d wanted to kiss. Fuck, okay. Fuck. Is Steven drunk? He feels drunk.

“Never have I ever wanted to kiss a coworker.”

He hears more than sees Adam smack his own forehead behind the camera. Andrew’s staring at him now, eyes wide, as Steven chugs down the rest of his drink, setting down his glass and clapping his hands together. Andrew’s surprised expression transitions slowly into an amused expression, before he finally chuckles and sips his own drink. He sets down the glass, the rest of his drink sloshing around.

Steven distantly thinks _That’s good. One of us should probably have all his inhibitions about him_ , before immediately yelling at himself in his head _HE SIPPED HIS DRINK. HE WANTS TO KISS A COWORKER. WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT_

He’s not sure what his face is doing right now, but it can’t be good, since Andrew looks kind of concerned, hand halfway to Steven’s shoulder as if to comfort him.

Adam rolls his eyes and cuts the camera. It’s gonna be a long night.

**2**

Okay, yeah, it’s kind of crazy that all of them, Evan Ghang included, came all the way to Korea for just one episode of Worth It. In Steven’s defense, David Chang’s invite was too good to pass up - eating Korean barbecue with an actual, world-renowned Korean-American chef is an opportunity Worth It just couldn’t turn down.

The problem is, it’s kind of inconvenient to constantly be stuck sitting next to Andrew when Steven’s only recently realized the extent of his feelings toward his best friend. Every outing feels increasingly like a date, even with three cameras pointed at them and Adam calling out light and sound cues. Steven hopes, at least, that David will serve as a good buffer between them for the two restaurants he accompanies them to.

They meet David at the first destination, and after exchanging greetings and small talk, decide to head in and start setting up. Adam checks all the cameras meticulously while Evan mics everyone up, and then it’s time to settle into their table. Steven kind of hopes that David will sit in the middle, since he’s definitely going to be the one cooking, but Andrew and him automatically leave the middle seat open for Steven. When Steven hesitates slightly, Andrew glances at him expectantly, patting the seat next to him and reaching out as if to tug Steven into the seat.

Steven sighs and sits down, ridding himself of his concerns as he prepares to become his usual on-camera self. Evan comes over as they’re preparing to begin, setting down a bottle of soju on the table and grinning at Steven, either because the little shit has picked up on his predicament, or because he knows that Steven doesn’t handle his alcohol all that well. Either way, Steven’s in for a Night™️, he’s sure.

Evan glances at Andrew and then back at Steven, smirking as he backs away from the table. Goddammit.

Steven assumes his own hesitation and awkwardness in interacting with Andrew today is to blame for Evan’s perceptiveness. He obviously has to try harder to seem normal, although he’s realized (after rewatching every single Worth It episode, obsessively monitoring his own behavior around Andrew) that his normal around Andrew is. Well. Just a little bit… flirtatious.

Oh well. If he _has_ to do it to seem normal, he’ll deal with the hardship.

So they drink soju, and they eat an obscene amount of meat, and they banter for the cameras. David is a hilarious yet knowledgeable addition to their dynamic. Steven and David have this sort of unspoken competition going on, where they rib each other in turns, and Andrew just sits there, laughing helplessly as the two get more and more ridiculous with each statement. He jumps in every now and then, mainly to poke fun at David or to call Steven dumb with a goofy smile on his face.

“David’s cooking. That’s the real trick of this episode, getting a professional chef to grill our meat for us,” Andrew points out, chuckling.

“Here’s the thing. You think I’m gonna let you fucking guys cook?” David, grinning humorously, quips back, as he reaches for the tongs again and performs some complicated looking flips with the meat.

Steven’s pretty tipsy at this point, so he thinks everyone will excuse him for his loud, bright laugh, and for grabbing onto Andrew’s arm and pressing his face into his shoulder as his giggles recede. Andrew’s body shakes with laughter, and Steven can feel it in his chest. He thinks that even if he wasn’t “into” Andrew, he’d still enjoy the tactility, given that Andrew is all solid, strong muscle and some squishy spots under soft sweaters.

He realizes belatedly that he’s been contemplating Andrew’s squishiness while basically still pressed into his side, head on his shoulder, looking up at his face. Andrew’s looking back at him with a tiny glimmer in his eyes, the softest smile ever on his face. Steven instantly flashes back to the car ride home from £10, their last cocktail-episode destination. Andrew had been looking at him with a similar expression, before Adam had said the thing about his butt being “so warm” and Steven had hurriedly straightened in his seat, feeling caught.

He straightens in his seat slower, this time, a hand still curled around Andrew’s forearm as he sits up. He smiles at Andrew, sure that he’s practically beaming - that’s how happy he feels right now, for reasons he’s not entirely sure of. Andrew grins back and reaches across him for more meat, seamlessly falling back into conversation with David.

Right. The episode. _Head in the game, Lim_.

—

By the time they reach the last location, Steven’s still quite tipsy. The car ride and drinking lots of water have helped, but he’s still feeling pleasantly buzzed, slightly more affectionate than usual, and happy. David couldn’t make it to the last place, so it’s back to the regular set-up. Steven and Andrew clink glasses of wine and settle back into their chairs, right back against the windows behind them.

They do their thing for the cameras, and as they’re finishing up, Steven leans up against Andrew, arm slung around the back of his chair. He’s not sure he should be this close to Andrew, considering what his thought process has been like all day, but he craves Andrew’s touch. He presses his cheek against Andrew’s and then pulls back quickly, grabbing his napkin and wiping off his mouth, preparing to leave. Adam disassembles the camera setup, while the boys un-mic themselves.

They head out to the car and Adam and Evan shove their equipment in the trunk while Steven and Andrew take a little stroll around the lot, trying to alleviate some of their overeating. They bump shoulders and talk about nothing, both still quite tipsy. They turn back and head in the direction of the car, only to see that Adam and Evan are gone and the car is locked. _They must’ve left something inside_ , Steven rationalizes, and leans up against one of the doors to wait.

Andrew comes up to him, standing opposite him and planting one of his hands on the car just beside Steven’s waist. This isn’t unusual, and it’s definitely akin to how they always stand, but Steven’s a little more… aware of Andrew and His Everything. His fringe ruffles slightly in the breeze, and Steven unthinkingly reaches long fingers up to brush it back, out of his face. It’s completely quiet in their periphery, and Steven can’t tell whether it’s because of the lack of other people, or because his brain is drowning out everyone that isn’t Andrew.

Andrew gives him the tiniest smile ever, looking up once Steven’s finished patting his hair back into place. It might even be more of a smirk, just the very edges of his mouth turned up softly, a sparkle in his eye. He reaches his own hand up to gently push some of Steven’s hair, standing straight up on the side of his head, so that it’s behind his ear. Steven can’t take his eyes off Andrew’s face, if he’s honest. That might also just be because their faces are so close together, breaths practically intermingling as Andrew drops his hand to the other side of Steven’s waist, effectively caging him in.

Steven’s not sure Andrew knows what he’s doing. He might not be predisposed to affection the way Steven is himself, but Steven’s sure that Andrew is only reciprocating Steven’s touches because he thinks they’re friendly. Even so, his tipsy lizard brain can’t help but wonder how easy it would be to lean in and kiss Andrew, caged against the car like this. His eyes flicker to Andrew’s lips, where he sees Andrew chuckle softly, before reaching up again to tilt Steven’s chin up with one finger, forcing Steven to look him in the eyes.

This does not feel platonic. Steven knows there’s want in his eyes, and he knows Andrew’s caught him daydreaming. Andrew doesn’t seem to care - no, scratch that, he seems to care in the same way that Steven cares.

Before Steven can work up enough courage to lean in the rest of the way, Adam and Evan come tumbling out of the restaurant doors, forgotten lens in Adam’s hand. Andrew and Steven spring apart, but not too far, going back to their original stance with one of Andrew’s hands by Steven’s hip.

Adam unlocks the car and once the door is open, Steven practically dives into his seat and away from Andrew. He’s not one hundred percent sure what just happened, but he knows that the tension he’s been feeling between them almost snapped. The fact that they were interrupted brought it bouncing back, a thousand times thicker and more intense. He thinks Andrew’s looking at him through the window, but he buries his face in his hands and thinks about how close he got to reaching for him and just. Taking. He almost can’t handle it.

Andrew rounds the car and drops into his seat to Steven’s right. Adam and Evan are already settled in their seats, so they start heading to their hotel, all exhausted from a long day of shooting and eating. Once they’re at their hotel, Steven breaks off from the group and heads straight up to his room, plummeting face first into a pillow and screaming.

That’s where he wakes up the next morning. _This never happened when I didn’t drink_ , he thinks, despondently, as if a crush had never ruined his life sober.

He checks his phone to see a text each from Andrew, Adam, and Evan.

 _Andrew_ (12:02 AM)  
You okay? Let me know if you need anything.

 _Adam_ (12:15 AM)  
I used to think you were really smart w the whole chemical engineering thing. Funny how life works out haha

 _Evan_ (12:18 AM)  
Dude.

Steven groans and chucks his phone across the room onto the couch. Fuck.

**3**

Steven doesn’t believe in the concept of guilty pleasures. He goes all in for the things he loves, all the time, and doesn’t care what anyone thinks about him for it. He unironically loves reality shows on substandard networks, cheerful pop music with repetitive lyrics, and staying in on Saturday nights to eat ice cream alone and watch some of his favorite movies, which just so happen to be romcoms. The ones that have been in rotation lately are _Love Actually, 27 Dresses,_ and _10 Things I Hate About You._

All that being said, there is one thing that Steven has recently felt kind of guilty about enjoying. It’s super controversial, and you never know how someone feels about it, so he just. Doesn’t mention it. Pretends it doesn’t exist, for the most part. Until he’s in his car alone, driving purposelessly and… blasting Taylor Swift.

Steven has such a love-hate relationship with Miss Swift. He wishes she would speak up for important causes more and stop coming off as so selfish and greedy in the media, but fuck if her earlier albums aren’t the perfect pining playlist, all on their own.

He’s currently driving home alone, in what seems to be a tornado. Not really, but it is raining hard. The boys have just filmed their latest episode, BBQ ribs. So, yeah, Steven’s spent the day sitting elbow-to-elbow with the current object of his affections, watching Andrew suck soft meat off a bone with his eyes closed.

When Andrew started to essentially make out with the rib bone at their second location, Steven tried to play off his arousal as discomfort. He thinks it worked. He also doesn’t know how long he’s going to be able to pull that off, though, especially if Andrew keeps making those noises when he eats. He kind of thinks that maybe Andrew’s teasing him on purpose, because of their little _moment_ in Korea.

_The way you move is like a full-on rainstorm  
And I’m a house of cards_

Steven really does feel like a house of cards around Andrew. Constantly on the precipice of something, and he’s really not sure what it could be. It’s like making a move could either perfectly complete their little card structure, or bring everything crashing to the ground.

_You’re the kind of reckless that should send me running  
But I kind of know that I won’t get far_

The fact that Andrew had seemed receptive to Steven’s affections should’ve comforted him, but it didn’t. They’d both had a lot to drink that day, and he’d hope that Andrew wouldn’t want to throw away their (in Steven’s opinion, amazing) friendship, just for one night of… Steven doesn’t know. Andrew knows that Steven doesn’t do hookups, so was he maybe hoping for some making out? Either way, he does think it was kind of reckless of both of them to allow that tension between them to almost snap when they were both inebriated. Steven wants Andrew, yeah, but he wants all of him. Not just in a physical sense.

 _And you stood there in front of me_  
_Just close enough to touch_  
_Close enough to hope you couldn’t see what I was thinking of_

He was so disappointed in himself the morning after his brief lapse in judgment. He really let himself go, petting at Andrew like he was a cat and not a person, letting himself look at Andrew and think about kissing him, all while Andrew was literally standing less than a foot away the whole time. It scares him that Andrew absolutely, definitely knows what he was thinking, and there’s no hiding his crush anymore.

 _Get me with those green eyes, baby_  
_As the lights go down_  
_Give me something that’ll haunt me when you’re not around_

He’s singing along as loud as he can, at this point. It’s like this song was written specifically for his very situation, as he’s literally haunted by Andrew’s green eyes every time he closes his own damn eyes. Steven, in all his sad, yearning glory, has lain in bed every night since Korea, eyes closed, picturing Andrew’s smirking face, his finger tilting Steven’s chin up, his eyes sparkling. Steven can so easily picture closing the distance between them.

He tries to imagine what it would be like to kiss Andrew. He knows Andrew would be gentle, generous. Proximity is something he’s familiar with in their relationship, so he thinks the kiss would be comfortable, kind of like coming home and getting to sleep in your own bed after a week of staying at a hotel. He’d want Andrew to wrap him in his muscular arms and pull him close, maybe trap him against a wall or something.

To be honest, all Steven really wants is to be close to Andrew, so he’ll take what he can get.

_I’m captivated by you, baby  
Like a firework show_

Not for the first time, Steven thinks _I really am screwed. Like, really really._

Despite that thought, he kind of feels like he could take on the world right now. They head to Australia soon, and he’ll get to hang out abroad with his best friends, trying some of the best foods there are on offer down under. The thought makes him happy as he turns off his engine, having reached his apartment building. He may or may not have a skip in his step as he enters his house, and if he tells his roommate that things seem to be looking up, well. Steven’s an optimistic guy.

Things will happen the way they happen. In the meantime, Steven’s got his very successful internet show to focus on.

**4**

Australia is insane. Worth It’s new reputation has made it so that Buzzfeed is willing to extend their budget a bit, which means that the trio (plus shiny new intern, provided especially for the international episodes) were able to fly business class for their 15-hour flight. All three of them planned the episodes together, since going abroad requires a level of research and preparation that Steven physically couldn’t do all by himself, given his time constraints. Steven’s extremely excited for the seafood and steak episodes in particular, and only a little concerned about the wine episode. He knows what alcohol does to him when he’s around Andrew.

Springing for the more expensive plane tickets, however, did mean that they had to scrimp a little on their hotel rooms. All this really means is that Andrew and Steven are sharing a room, while Adam is sharing with their intern, Kyle. They’ve shared a room before, once, in New York, but that was prior to Steven’s realization of his crush. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little worried about what it was going to be like, now that they were both aware of his feelings, especially after the _moment_ they’d shared in Korea.

They’re in Australia for over a week, so they’ve built in some downtime in their itinerary, when they can just relax or do something not Worth It-related. For now, they’re heading to the hotel for some much-needed rest after their 22-hour journey.

“I’m still surprised you managed to pull this off,” Andrew says softly to Steven, trying not to wake Adam and Kyle, dozing in the last row of seats. Steven can’t drive here, since it’s on the opposite side of the road, so they’re in a minivan, which worked best for the camera angles they’re used to.

“Yeah, I mean, I wanted this for all of us. We deserve it. We’ve worked hard, and now we’re about to work a lot harder, but it’s - it’s really, um,” Steven giggles to himself, “it’s worth it.”

Andrew giggles softly too, the look in his eyes impossibly fond. He reaches out and curls his hand around Steven’s wrist, looking him in the eyes, and Steven just knows he’s about to say something kind and sincere. Andrew’s only ever this gentle when he wants Steven to know he’s being genuine.

“Thanks for this, Steven. I mean, not just Australia, but for Worth It. Thank you for… hell, dragging me along with you, at the beginning. You have to know I wouldn’t trade this for anything.”

Steven kind of feels like he’s talking about more than just the show, like he’s thanking Steven for his friendship, for how close they all are now, for all the experiences they’ve shared. Honestly, the journey has him so overtired that he might cry.

“Andrew - I… you’re welcome, of course. You’re… you’re, um, my best friend. I wouldn’t want any of this without you. Or Adam.”

Andrew can’t keep that stupid grin off his face. That and the fuzz on his face from not having shaved for a couple days - God, it’s doing things to Steven’s stomach. His hand on Steven’s wrist moves, trails up his arm until it’s resting on his shoulder. Andrew’s smile diminishes, leaving behind a warm expression as he grasps Steven’s shoulder.

“You’re - honestly, if you bring this up on camera, I’ll deny it,” he says, chuckling so Steven knows it’s a joke, “but… you’re my best friend too.”

They smile at each other sleepily for a second, and then Steven turns to look out the window, to watch the Sydney architecture pass them by. By the time he’s turned back, Andrew’s dozing, head laying back on his seat, hand still resting lightly on Steven’s forearm. He lets it lay there, lays his head down on his own headrest, and snoozes until they reach the hotel.

\--

Check-in passes by in a blur, and by the time they’ve lugged their stuff up to their hotel rooms, all four of them are about ready to pass out for the next ten hours. Adam and Kyle are on the eighth floor, while Andrew and Steven are on the fifteenth. Adam’s eyes are glazed over behind his glasses, and both him and the intern barely get out a “goodnight” as they exit the elevator.

Steven giggles. “How long into brushing his teeth do you think Adam is gonna pass out?”

“To be honest, he might not even bother. Watch him faceplant into bed and wake up in that exact position in ten hours,” Andrew says, giggling along. Steven thinks they’re both maybe a little delirious from sleep deprivation.

The elevator finally dings, signaling they’ve reached their floor, and they both step out and head for their room.

Steven distantly thinks, _Romcom cliché would have me believe…_ as Andrew slides the keycard into the slot. His stomach sinks immediately. He knows without even looking that somehow, the universe…

Yep. There’s one bed. One beautiful, soft-looking queen-sized bed with about ten pillows.

Steven doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Andrew makes the decision for him, chuckling tiredly as he drops his bags and turns back to Steven, rubbing his eyes.

“Okay, so we have two options here: number one, we go downstairs and barter with the nice man at the front desk for at least twenty minutes until they give us a room with two beds. Or there’s option number two,” he gives Steven a placating look, reaching a hand out to grasp his shoulder, “we suck it up and share the bed for one night. Fix it later.”

Steven half-thinks he’s dreaming. Like, this is a ridiculous hallucination, he can’t possibly really have little choice but to share a bed with the man he’s in lo- he’s, um, very into. _Don’t think about this right now, you fucking idiot_ , he yells into the void that is his brain around Andrew.

He steels himself and finally looks up from where he’s been staring at the floor, to look right at Andrew. Andrew’s watching him warily, like he thinks Steven might march him downstairs and make the hotel put them on completely different floors. Steven only wishes he had that kind of willpower.

“Yeah, let’s do it. Uh, I guess we don’t really have a choice. And I _am_ really, really wiped out,” he rationalizes, mostly to himself.

Andrew smiles at him in relief, grabbing his toiletry bag out of his backpack and heading into the bathroom while Steven sets up on the left side of the bed. He panics briefly at the realization that he hasn’t packed any pajamas, as he generally sleeps in his boxers, but then his anxiety kind of plateaus. What can he really do, right? Might as well… make the best of a tough situation.

He grabs his toiletry bag just as Andrew’s coming out of the bathroom, wiping at his face with one of the little towels. He gestures at Steven to go ahead, and pats his waist as he passes him. It’s an absent gesture, but the domesticity of it makes something in Steven ache.

He puts it out of his mind and smiles at Andrew, heading into the bathroom. He takes out his contacts, then washes his face and brushes his teeth. Putting his toothbrush in the little holder beside Andrew’s gives him that same ache, the closeness familiar and foreign at the same time. _You’re being ridiculous now_ , he scolds himself in the mirror, _snap out of it before you fuck everything up._

Pep talk concluded, he exits the bathroom to find Andrew already under the covers, back against the headrest as he scrolls through his phone. Steven moves to his side of the bed, removing his jeans and crawling under the covers and laying his head down on the pillow, practically knocked out already. He grabs his phone and starts responding to texts, lets his Mom know that he’s checked into the hotel, all that jazz.

He thinks maybe a pillow wall would have been smart, but it also might have made things a million times more awkward, to pretend as if they’re not comfortable in each other’s tactility.

“Hey, Steven?” Andrew’s voice knocks him out of his reverie, and he stops mindlessly scrolling through his phone to look up at Andrew questioningly.

“I hope you’re not uncomfortable sharing this bed. If you want, I’ll go down there and get them to switch rooms.”

Steven smiles up at Andrew, unable to stop himself from reaching out a hand to cover Andrew’s.

“It’s okay, Drew. I really don’t mind. Let’s just sleep.”

They put their phones down and fall asleep on their sides, facing away from each other. Steven sleeps soundly, waking for only a few seconds every couple hours, registering a warm, comforting weight in the bed next to him, and falling back asleep instantly.

When he wakes up properly, it’s to Andrew’s sleeping face. Somehow, in true romcom fashion, they’ve gravitated towards the middle of the bed, and each other, as the night passed. Andrew’s got an arm slung around Steven’s hip and Steven’s left leg is somehow tangled up between Andrew’s legs. Steven’s hands are resting on his pillow between them, and Andrew’s other hand is under his own pillow.

Steven moves his hands as quietly as he possibly can, not wanting to wake Andrew prematurely. He wants to take a second, take in all the emotions he’s feeling right now. He feels so, so warm, and safe, and being held like this by Andrew is pretty much exactly what he was dreaming about all night. On the other hand, he’s terrified Andrew’s going to wake up and realize the intimate position they’re in and freak out.

Breathing in deeply and refusing to let his anxiety get the best of him, Steven just takes in Andrew for a minute. His hair is sleep-mussed, fringe hanging down on his forehead while parts of the back stick up straight. He looks so young while he sleeps, no grumpy curmudgeon façade to hide behind. His pink lips are parted ever so slightly, and every exhale is a warm puff of air against Steven’s jaw.

Steven entertains, for a second, the wild notion of waking Andrew up with a kiss. It’d be so easy, he could just close the few inches between them and peck his lips softly until Andrew blinked open those green eyes. While Steven still doesn’t think it’d be a good idea, he’s not in enough denial to pretend that Andrew would be upset at him for making a move. He can’t act as though their interactions in Korea (and since!) have been platonic in any sense.

Despite this, he untangles himself from Andrew gingerly, sliding off the bed in one smooth motion and heading into the bathroom. Once he’s ready for the day, he heads down and gets the manager at the front desk to move them to a room with two beds.

While he knows it’s the rational thing to do, he can’t help but feel like he’s kind of sabotaging himself.

**5**

They’ve been back from Australia a couple weeks, even stopped over in New York for a bit to film an episode about fried chicken. Steven has, honestly, been avoiding any time alone with Andrew, because he’s scared. He’s decided to start being honest with himself, and if he’s being honest, he’s fucking terrified what might happen if he and Andrew put words to this… _thing_ between them.

He knows it could be good. Whatever it is, whatever they are - it could change Steven’s life, give him everything he’s been pining for the last two years.

He just doesn’t want to be the one to make that first move. He’s scared, plain and simple, that one false move could ruin their friendship forever, and Steven can’t have that on his conscience. He loves Andrew as his best friend, first and foremost, and he’d rather lose the tiny semblance of this _thing_ that they have, than lose something he’s been working towards for two and a half seasons.

They’re having what they call the “Worth It Work Out,” a now-regular meeting where they hash out the details of an episode prior to beginning filming. The name is stupid, they know, but it makes the arduous, meticulous scheduling seem less serious and more fun.

Their upcoming episode is one Steven’s been looking forward to all season: brunch. They get to try three brunches over the course of three consecutive Sundays, ending the streak at an amazing, fancy seafood brunch with free-flowing champagne. The truth is, not even Steven’s concerns about his developing _something_ with Andrew could keep him from being excited about this one.

Which is why he’s caught completely off-guard when Andrew corners him by the coffee machine later. He barely gets a word out as Andrew gently tugs at him until he follows obediently, leading them out of the room and downstairs, where he pushes Steven out one of the side exits into the alley next door to the Buzzfeed offices. It’s just about the only place in or around the building where privacy is a thing.

Steven’s confused, folding his arms and leaning back against the wall by the door, “What’s up, dude?”

Andrew snorts, a little unkindly, “‘What’s up, dude?’ Steven… did I do something? Why have you been avoiding me?”

Steven drops his gaze to the ground almost instantly. Andrew knows him well, and will be able to read a lie in his eyes, Steven’s sure. He fidgets with his fingers and looks up again, “It’s, um, it’s nothing, Andrew. I’m sorry I’ve been distant, just a crazy week, you know. Nothing personal.”

Andrew tilts his head, raising an eyebrow at him. “You’re talking to me like I’m a stranger. Come on, Steven,” he moves closer, reaching a hand out to cup Steven’s elbow, “talk to me. Whatever it is, I’m sure we can deal with it.” He has such a concerned look in his eyes that Steven feels kind of bad. He’s not about to tell Andrew what the matter is, though, and so he shakes his head.

“Don’t give me that, Steven. What is it? Come on, please,” he entreats, “I thought I was your best friend.”

Steven looks up at this, a little alarmed. He doesn’t want Andrew to think he’s changed his mind. He grabs Andrew’s wrist, “Dude, you are my best friend, I just…”

He can’t help it. Andrew’s so, so close to him again, not even a full ten inches between their faces. He exhales heavily into the space between them, his eyes dropping to Andrew’s mouth for a second before returning to his eyes.

Andrew’s expression clears, concern disappearing and being replaced with… amusement? No, it's more like fondness.

He leans in and presses his forehead to Steven’s. “Is… is that it? That’s all? Steven, I-“

Steven puts his hands on Andrew’s chest and pushes him back, gently, so he’s just outside of Steven’s space, still dizzyingly close. He takes in a steadying breath, and pushes away from the wall, away from Andrew, and walks back into the building.

Andrew had said _that’s all?_ as if Steven didn’t want absolutely everything from him. As if all Steven wanted was to taste his lips once and then move on, as if he didn’t want date nights and cooking together and moving in and maybe getting a cat. He really doesn’t think he could handle getting even a little bit from Andrew, and then having to let go once Andrew found someone to commit to properly. He can’t imagine being given an inch and not taking the whole mile.

He steps into the elevator and heads back up alone, and if he ignores Adam when he asks if everything’s okay, well. He’ll make it up to him.

**+1**

They’ve been filming the brunch episode for the past two weekends, and they’re finally on their last week. Steven thinks he’s managed to behave relatively normal in front of the cameras, and if Andrew’s more friendly and touchy-feely than usual, well, no one mentions it. Their last brunch is at the Peninsula in Beverly Hills, and even Steven dresses up just a little bit for the occasion.

He doesn’t know what possesses him to do it, really, but as they’re talking to the chef pre-meal, he glances at Andrew and asks (or, well, states) “Brunch is like, the perfect way to win someone’s heart, right?”

He turns away quickly before he can see Andrew’s reaction, and they soon head over to get their food. They find a secluded table and set up their equipment, eventually settling in front of two plates absolutely loaded with food. Steven feels guilty, almost sickly, at the opulence, but it is an experience.

By the time they’re done doing their thing for the cameras, both have worked up a steady, pleasant buzz. Adam is wandering around the restaurant, probably in the kitchen shooting more B-roll, as Steven and Andrew indulge in what they’re calling “dessert,” despite brunch being both a sweet and savory event.

Steven takes a bite of his chocolate raspberry cheesecake, and then, as if on autopilot, looks up and accepts the bite of peach profiterole Andrew is offering him. He watches Andrew watch him close his mouth around the fork, and he closes his eyes as the peach custard coats his tongue.

“Mmmmm, that might be the best thing we’ve tried so far,” Steven moans, a little indecently. When he opens his eyes, Andrew’s gaze is still fixed on his mouth.

Steven freezes as Andrew reaches up, using a thumb to swipe at a bit of peach custard stuck to the corner of Steven’s mouth. He wipes it off absently on his napkin, not taking his eyes off Steven.

Steven’s pretty sure he’s stopped breathing. This… this can’t keep happening. Steven’s not strong enough to hold himself back, not this many times.

“Andrew…” he whispers, drawing Andrew’s attention back up to his eyes.

“Steven… why- why not?” Andrew implores, voice impossibly soft and deep, eyes sad. As usual, he knows what’s wrong without Steven even having to say anything.

“I, I know what you’re thinking. This isn’t, it’s not something I’m taking lightly. You’re not casual to me, I wouldn’t do that,” Andrew blurts, earnestly, one of his hands hovering over Steven’s, like he’s afraid to touch.

Steven’s heart bursts. That’s really all he’s wanted to hear, that this means more to Andrew than just these tension-y moments between them. That Andrew’s looking for the same thing Steven’s looking for. He tentatively turns his hand, palm side up, and takes Andrew’s in his own.

Andrew sighs. “God, finally.”

And then he tilts Steven’s head up with one finger again, forcing his gaze up from their hands, so he’s looking into Andrew’s eyes for all of about a second, before Andrew fits a hand to the back of his neck and tugs him in.

The kiss is… honestly, Steven couldn’t describe it if he tried. Andrew’s captured his bottom lip between his, and he opens his mouth to tug it gently between his teeth, licking at the seam of Steven’s mouth as he does. Steven gasps, and Andrew licks eagerly into his mouth, rubbing his tongue coaxingly along the roof of Steven’s mouth in a way that has him shuddering. He reciprocates as best he can until he has to pull away to gasp for air, moving only as far as he absolutely has to, which is to say, not far at all.

Their lips brush as they pant into the air between them. Neither of them can stop smiling, and Andrew presses teasing, wet kisses against Steven’s jaw as they catch their breath. Steven digs his fingers into the hair at the back of Andrew’s head and tugs gently, looking him in the eyes.

“Hey,” Andrew says, smiling goofily, unable to keep his eyes from drifting back to Steven’s lips.

“Hey,” Steven replies, giggling. He’s a little giddy. This really is just about everything he could’ve asked for.

“Andrew, um. I- I really like you,” Steven confesses, under his breath.

Andrew chuckles, “I really like you too, idiot. If you’d stop running away from me for ten minutes, we could’ve been doing this months ago.”

“I wasn’t running away!”

“Scared I was gonna kiss you to death? Or worried that if you had me, no one else could ever compare? It’s okay, Steven, I get it,” Andrew replies, eyes sparkling with mirth.

“Shut up, Andrew,” Steven groans, using a hand to cover his eyes. God, he’s into a complete nerd.

“Make me,” Andrew whispers, shit-eating grin on his face. Steven knows he’s trying to be funny. It’s just unfair that he still thinks it’s hot.

He leans in again, intent on wiping that smug look off Andrew’s face.

He succeeds.

**Author's Note:**

> as always, constructive criticism would be amazing. 
> 
> you can find me on tumblr at [adamstevenandrew](http://adamstevenandrew.tumblr.com)
> 
> edit (3:24 am, 5/22/18): edited for sleep deprivation-induced mistakes and archive format fuckery.


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